A Sorrowful Goodbye
by VirginiaMalfoy16
Summary: Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry all face a new form of evil that will force them into a truce with Draco Malfoy and... Lord Voldemort. They set off on an adventure, and discover romance along the way.
1. Pale Crimson

A Sorrowful Goodbye  
  
...And in a hidden corner of the Great Hall, a small, red-haired girl stood wishing desperately for what she once had.  
  
The weather on the eve of Ginny's departure from Hogwarts' was bleak and rainy. It seemed to match her mood exactly. She was standing in the Great Hall, staring out the window at the charcoal colored rooftops of Hogwarts.  
  
She sighed, and turned around, leaning on the windowsill. The Great Hall looked very empty - everyone else had gone to bed. The long tables of the Hall that had been filled with delicious food just hours before were folded against the walls. Professor Flitwick had taken down all the decorations that usually lined the Hall. The only things left were the massive banners depicting Gryffindor's championship of house cup. Ginny smiled at the memory. She hadn't imagined that her house would have been able to win after the horrid Professor Umbridge came to Hogwarts, but they had managed to win anyway. She felt a flicker of satisfaction at having helped her house to win - she had been one of the few students to confront the evilest wizard of the magic world.  
  
A door creaked open in the empty Hall, and Ginny jerked her head up at the sound. Someone was coming in! Was it a teacher? If it was, she would surely be in trouble; students were supposed to be in bed now - it was 11:30 at night.  
  
Ginny quickly ducked into a crevice in the wall. The stone scratched against her bare shoulders, and she cringed at the thought of it ripping her pajamas. She waited silently for whoever was out there to come in.  
  
The door shut quietly. Ginny heard footsteps against the stone floor of the Great Hall. A figure went to the very window that she had been peering out. The person was not a teacher; Ginny could barely make out the student robes. She wasn't sure what house the person belonged to, but she could see the person had pale hair. She squinted, trying to discern whom it was. No teacher she knew had hair that color - the light of the moon was tinting it faintly silver. She watched as the person slid a pale, pale hand out from their robes and slid it onto the windowsill. They raised their head to gaze out at the bleak sky.  
  
As the moon fell on the upturned face, Ginny let out a little gasp: it was Draco Malfoy, nastiest, rudest, most sarcastic Slytherin in the entire school. The figure froze at her cry, and slowly turned to face her. Ginny had never wished so much that her hair hadn't been such a deep red - it would surely stand out against the gray stone of the castle.  
  
"Who's there?" Malfoy asked sharply.  
  
Ginny didn't speak. She could feel the pulse in her neck beating steadily in the silence of the large room.  
  
Malfoy stormed from the window in her direction. As he drew nearer, she could see that he had noticed someone was standing in the crevice. She lowered her head, trying to hide her suddenly burning cheeks. She watched through her cascading hair as his arm shot out and yanked on it. She stifled a scream as she stumbled into the candlelight.  
  
"Weasley? " gasped Malfoy, sounded truly shocked.  
  
"Yes, Malfoy" snapped Ginny, finding her voice. "It's me, and I have a name!!" Her breath was ragged and quick. But not so strange as her heartbeat.  
  
Malfoy gazed at her, a lazy smirk on his lips. "Yes, as do I."  
  
She stood there, staring at him. She could feel her mouth hanging slightly open as she watched him. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders. His hands were cool, a refreshing breeze on that hot day. Her eyes met his. They were a liquid silver - bright with gentle malice.  
  
"Say it," he demanded.  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"My name!"  
  
Ginny paused, unsure of where this was leading, unsure if she even wanted to know.  
  
"Draco."  
  
He smiled, his white teeth shining like pearls in the candlelight.  
  
"Thank you," he said.  
  
Then his face bent towards her. A lock of blond hair fell from his temple onto her forehead. She felt his hands reach behind her head, caressing her tense neck. She stumbled in surprise, and caught at his robes for support. As she touched him, he thrust his face to hers and kissed her.  
  
The kiss was surprisingly gentle, for such a sharp-witted boy. His lips were cool against her own very warm ones. She was barely aware of her hair tumbling down from its bun. He grasped at it, fingering its delicacy. His mouth was soft, like his touch. Fireflies danced upon her closed eyelids like guiding stars in a lonely night. There was a rising sensation in her stomach, much like the feeling when she had chased the Snitch at the fastest speeds. She clung to him, and he to her.  
  
She didn't want that kiss to ever end, and he seemed not to either. But at the sound of an opening door, they sprang apart, as if their passion had grown too hot to touch. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes still strangely soft from their embrace. Ginny quickly tucked her hair behind her ears, aware of how disheveled they must appear.  
  
It was Harry. His black hair was messy, as usual. His green eyes were intense with worry. "Ginny?" he called. She cast a quick glance at Draco, who ducked into the crevice she had recently hid in.  
  
Harry went to meet her, holding himself high and importantly. When they met, he grasped her hands in his. His eyes searched her own, sparkling in the glow. "Ginny," he breathed. Then he smiled, the dazzle in his eyes fading. "Come on, Gin, we've got to get to bed. I know the past few days have been hard, but you'll be all right now."  
  
He grabbed her arm, as if she was too weak to support herself. Draco hadn't made her feel like that. He had made her feel strong and capable.  
  
She pulled her arm out of Harry's. "It's okay, Harry, I can make it on my own. I'll catch up in a minute."  
  
He gazed into her eyes. They pierced her, surprisingly sharper than Draco's had been. "No, I think that we'd better go together."  
  
She sighed in annoyance. "Listen, Harry, I'm perfectly capable on my own. You don't need to play hero and rescue me."  
  
Harry stared at her for a moment in shock. Then, his eyes flashed in anger, boiling like one of Snape's nasty potions. "Fine, Ginny." He scowled at her. "I'll see you later, then."  
  
He sharply stormed to the Hall door, opened it without a backwards glance, and slammed it behind him.  
  
Ginny couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt at the _expression on his face. She hadn't meant to hurt him; she'd only wanted him to leave her alone with Draco. She smiled to herself at that thought; if she had been told that she would one day want to be alone in a room with Draco Malfoy, she would have laughed at the absurdity of it. But now, now it didn't seem wrong at all. It seemed so right. So perfect. So... wonderful.  
  
She turned towards the crevice that hid Draco, and was surprised to find him already striding toward her. She began to smile at him, and realized that he was not looking at her, but at the door where Harry had just left. Her eyebrows furrowed as a frown appeared on her face.  
  
She grabbed Draco's sleeve as he strode by her, but he only turned and pushed her. She stumbled backwards, partly from the blow, but mostly from shock, and hit the hard, cold wall. She couldn't help thinking that that wall was welcoming when compared with his heart.  
  
"Draco!" she called desperately. "What are you doing?"  
  
He stopped, body stiff in annoyance, and yelled over his shoulder, "I'm going after Potter!"  
  
She felt her mouth drop open. "But...why?"  
  
He turned to face her, eyes dark in anger. "None of your business!"  
  
With that, he left the Great Hall in the same manner that Harry had done. Only, this time, the slamming door seemed much, much more final.  
  
And in a hidden corner of the Great Hall, a small, red-haired girl stood wishing desperately for what she once had. 


	2. Strange Occurances

A/N: This is the continuation of a fic that I didn't think that I'd add onto. It's my first one that I've submitted for anyone to read! I was very happy to finally get the courage to do it! ^_^ Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. The theme, setting, characters, and inspiration belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The sound of the slamming door still rang in Draco's ears as he leaned against the wall, shaking slightly from the encounter in the Great Hall. He didn't know what he was going to do now; he had only left because he couldn't stand being in there with Ginny any longer. He wasn't even sure what had come over him. He hated the Weasley family. It was no doubt just hormones that had caused him to kiss - kiss! - the youngest Weasley member.  
He stood, figuring that he shouldn't be here whenever Ginny decided to leave the Great Hall. He hoped that she wouldn't follow him. He smiled to himself. Now she would think that he had feelings for her. He had led her on, and now he needed to find a way to crush her hopes. He strolled down the stone hallway; glad he had a reason to leave.  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny couldn't believe what had just happened. Perhaps it was how quickly everything had occurred, but she felt in a dream state. Had Draco Malfoy just kissed her? Had she just kissed him back? She didn't even like him. She hated what he did to her brother, her family, her friends, Harry.  
She felt disconnected from her body, from the room. The experience - while very bizarre - had hardly been completely unpleasant. Malfoy was a very good kisser. She'd heard rumors, yes, but had never really wanted to discover it for herself. "Well," she thought, trying to shrug the recent experience from her mind, "I suppose I should go back to the common room, before Filch finds me."  
She exited the Great Hall, via the door that Harry and Malfoy had used. She wondered what business Malfoy had with Harry. Probably wanted to berate him some more. It was the only possibility that made sense.  
She crept along the corridors, trying to be as silent as possible. It wasn't difficult. Her worn slippers didn't make much noise on the floor. Her heartbeat seemed to be what would give her away. It echoed in her ears, and she felt the pulse in her neck throbbing. Still, she encountered no one on her way back to the Gryffindor common room.  
After giving the password to the fat lady (Griffin Wings), she entered. No one was in sight. Sighing, she made her way to the overstuffed armchairs in front of the fire. She sank down heavily into the chair. Closing her eyes, she sighed.  
Suddenly, someone spoke her name. "Ginny."  
She sat up straight, jumping slightly, and opened her eyes. She was shocked to see Colin resting in the other chair. He was gazing at her with a blank expression on his face, almost as if he had expected her to plop down next to him.  
"Yes, Colin?" she asked tentatively.  
He didn't reply at first. Instead, he continued to stare at her. She grew rather anxious when he didn't blink or look away. Was something wrong with him? Why did he keep gawking at her?  
"Your hair is really dark in the firelight," he commented.  
She raised her eyebrows nervously. What was going on?  
He leaned in closer to her, closing his eyes. "Ginny," he breathed.  
Ginny stopped herself from yelling. He was going to kiss her! She jumped up. Colin was everything that Harry was not. Or Malfoy, for that matter. He was short; she towered over him by four inches. He was too thin, and his hair was limp and a dull beige colored. She didn't feel the remotest attraction to him.  
"Colin!" she screeched. "What are you doing?"  
He drew back slowly, opening his eyes. "Well, I was going to kiss you."  
She felt her famous temper rising, and fought to keep it down. "But WHY were you going to kiss me?"  
He shrugged. "It doesn't matter."  
"It matters completely!" she couldn't help yelling a bit.  
"To you, maybe."  
She couldn't believe how aggravating he was being. One didn't just kiss someone for no reason. But then, she froze. Draco had done exactly that to her. Something was not right.  
"Um, Colin, I'm just going to go up my dorm and sleep. I'm sorry, but I'm not -er - in the mood for this right now."  
Colin smiled brightly, and nodded. Then, without another word, he turned back to the fire, back to his daze. It was as if she had never been there. Ginny felt herself grow chilly, despite the fire's warmth. Something was going on.  
Shivering, Ginny trudged up the stairs, and absently turned the doorknob of her room. She didn't even notice, as she slid into bed, that someone was watching her from the shadows.  
  
A/N: Well, I don't quite know where this is going. Any suggestions? I have an idea, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I like this continuation. Please review, and let me know what you think!!!! 


	3. All Shall Be Revealed

Chapter 3  
All Shall Be Revealed  
  
Ginny had been dreaming. She couldn't remember exactly what it was about, but there was something important about the dream. Sitting up in her dorm bed, she realized that it was still pitch black outside. She groaned inwardly. She felt wide-awake, not even tired anymore. Was it because of her dream? She didn't know.  
Her eyes were drawn towards the window, facing the forbidden forest. Sometimes when she couldn't sleep (and that was often), she would sit on the windowsill and gaze out the window. Once, after a particularly horrible nightmare about Tom Riddle, she had leaned back, and began counting the stars. Gradually, after several hundred, she had felt herself lulled into a dazed, sleepy state, and had slept right there on the windowsill. This was one of her favorite places in Hogwarts.  
Silently, so as not to wake the other sleeping fifth year girls, she pulled back the covers and slipped out of the warmth of her bed. It was the middle of November, and already the air was cold. The chill of the stone floor sent a jolt of shock up to her ankles, her nerves protesting at the discomfort. Still, she made it to the windowsill, and her pajamas - while somewhat thin with age - were able to keep the cold away once she positioned herself on the sill. She leaned back, watching the silent scenery of the dark trees. The world was shrouded by something. she realized that it was beginning to snow. Her lips tugged into a smile. She loved snow.  
Suddenly, a bright shape appeared out of the forest. Ginny blinked. Was it a light? Perhaps Hagrid was investigating some wild animal of his in the forest. But she noticed that a dim candle flickered in his hut, not too far off from the school's exterior. And the light was far too bright, much too graceful for it to be Hagrid carrying some sort of light.  
Ginny gulped, wondering what this strange appearance was. It was a small sphere, no bigger than a quaffle ball. She wondered if it could be a ghost. "But," she thought, "do the ghosts ever leave the castle? I've never seen them." The circle of light seemed to turn, was it facing her window? Ginny felt a small panic bubble in her stomach. The glowing orb revolved slowly, until it seemed to transform into a figure, meeting her gaze. Ginny gasped and jumped. Golden eyes met her own, and she was temporarily blinded by the light filtering out of them; similar to if she looked full on at the sun. But, their brightness faded into a dull glow. Ginny began to tremble with not fear, but apprehension. The figure started to make its way toward the window. To Ginny's shock, it began to float upward, closing the gap between them more and more. Ginny stumbled off the windowsill, feeling the panic boil into a scream. However, before it escaped her lips, something firm and warm had pressed itself against her mouth.  
Her yell was muffled into a choke, as she lost her flow of air. Struggling, she reached back and felt skin. Ginny scratched it with her raggedly bitten nails. She heard a curse in a low voice that was quite familiar.  
"Malfoy?" she asked in surprise. What was he doing here?  
He withdrew his hand from her mouth, and she turned abruptly to face him, expecting to see the half-smile of arrogant amusement. Instead, he was looking with sharp intensity into her eyes. She couldn't help catching her breath at his eyes, which looked stormy in the strange golden light.  
The light. She had forgotten in the scuffle with Malfoy. Where was it now?  
As if in answer to her question, a great flash broke through the castle's stone, giving a gold hue to the room. Ginny couldn't help crying out loud; she felt strangely drawn to it. Then, the source of the light appeared; a celestial human floating on the other side of the window. The figure was a tall, slender woman with billowing golden robes and drooping wings. She seemed not to need them to hover. Her feet were barely visible beneath the clothes, adorned with small, golden slippers. Everything about this woman was heavenly and golden. Ginny felt no fear toward her, and began to instinctively step closer to her. Those eyes were so warm and inviting.  
Something strangely cold grabbed her shoulder, and Ginny frowned. She was vaguely aware of Malfoy holding her back, and she cried, "Let me go, Malfoy!"  
He continued to grip her forcefully. Ginny felt tears slide down her freckled cheeks. Her only wish was to meet this beautiful woman and do her bidding. How could Malfoy prevent her from her only dream?  
"Ginny," he whispered. Had she been more alert, she would have been surprised by his gentleness. "Listen to me." He paused. "This being does not wish to do you good; she is false. Don't go to her; follow me. I will save you, if you'll only listen."  
Ginny heard him, but paid him no attention. She heard him sigh in exasperation. His mouth was only inches from her ear. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but." he broke off, and yanked on her upper arm. She yelped in pain as he dragged her away from the woman. Ginny now openly began to sob. She didn't want to leave! If she could just remain here, forever.  
However, she vaguely heard Malfoy open the latch on the door, pull her outside, and shut it forcefully. As soon as the golden figure was cut off from her vision, Ginny felt her senses return. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. She shivered, realizing that the figure hadn't appeared stunning when she had first seen it. It had almost been frightening.  
"What was that?" she managed to gasp after a moment's silence.  
Malfoy was strangely grim. "It was what is known as Temptation. I can't tell you much about it until we have the others." He began striding purposefully down the stairs.  
Ginny was feeling very confused. What did Malfoy know that she didn't? What was going on? She shook her head, as if to clear to bewildering thoughts from her mind. "What are you talking about?" she asked him in a whisper.  
"Like I said, I don't want to tell you much without the others, but-"  
Ginny cut him off. "What others?"  
He stopped outside the sixth year girls' chamber. He reached out to turn the latch, but before he opened the door, he faced her, saying "Your friends."  
As the wooden door creaked open, Ginny realized with shock that another strange figure was standing in the room. Only, this one was dressed in plain brown robes, and was a kindly looking elderly man. A fierce intelligence shone from his knowledgeable eyes. His palm was facing up, a large book floating above it. And there was Hermione, treading - in a sort of daze - toward him.  
  
A/N: The main plot of my fic is outlined in my head, but if you have any ideas about certain ships/details/etc you'd like me to include, please review! I love hear from you! 


	4. The Forgotten Enemy

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, or the inspiration of my story. J.K. Rowling deserves all the credit. What a great writer. *Sigh* If only I could be that good.  
  
A Sorrowful Goodbye Chapter 4: The Forgotten Enemy  
  
Ginny blinked at the strange sight unfolded before her in the sixth year dormitories. Who was this man with brown robes, holding the large, leather book? He certainly couldn't be what Malfoy had called "Temptation", for he was not tempting her at all. Books and learning was all right for school, but on the last day? No, this amiable man was not enticing Ginny in the least.  
"Stay here," Malfoy whispered quickly. Ginny looked up at him. He looked tired, and there were pale blue half-circles beneath his lower eyelids. His mouth, so often twisted into a malevolent smirk, seemed to be grim and limp. Ginny glanced back into the room. There was Hermione, treading softly toward the strange man. The other students were still sleeping deeply, untroubled by this disturbance.  
Ginny watched as Malfoy stepping into the room. She couldn't see his expression, for his back was to her, but he seemed to become more alert. His shoulders tensed and he stood up straighter. Hermione, meanwhile, was getting very close to the man. He was smiling widely, holding the book out to her, but still just past her reach. Malfoy approached Hermione until he was right next to her. She paid him no attention, only continued making her way toward the man. Ginny gave a small gasp as Hermione collided with Parvati's large trunk, but Hermione didn't even notice, only straightened herself. She didn't even stop.  
Malfoy didn't seem to be doing anything to stop her. Ginny chewed the side of her lip in frustration. Why wasn't he making progress? She realized now that this was some kind of Temptation for Hermione. It was obvious how much the girl was obsessed with her books and learning, and naturally, she would be drawn to such concepts. Ginny was just unsure why Malfoy wasn't trying to distract Hermione. She didn't know what would happen when Hermione reached Temptation, and most of her didn't want to know. Only a small slice of her mind was curious as to what this strange sort of evil did.  
Hermione was a mere few feet away from the man of Temptation. Ginny knew that Malfoy wasn't getting anywhere. She had to intervene. She took a deep breath, and marched with more confidence than she felt into the dimly lit room. Nobody seemed to notice her sudden movement toward the far corner of the room where the scholarly man was beckoning to Hermione. Ginny strode to Hermione, vaguely aware of the sleeping forms of Lavendar, Parvati, and the other sixth year girls. They hadn't stir in the slightest.  
Malfoy was the first to realize what Ginny was doing. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open to obviously protest, but he never had the chance. Ginny snatched the book from Temptation's hands, forcing herself not to think about what might happen because of her actions. A blinding light filled the room, and Ginny held up the book to shield her eyes. Her head grew weak and she felt dizzy from the brightness. After a moment, the light faded, and Ginny heard Malfoy yelling at her to stop. But it was too late. What was done could not be reversed. Ginny had interfered with something she should have left well alone.  
The book started to become warm. Ginny blinked, and looked for the man. He was scowling with a fierceness Ginny hadn't seen before. She gaped at him in confusion for a second, before realizing how hot the book had suddenly become. It was burning her hands. She felt a pulse of energy surge through her veins, sending shivers up and down her arms.  
Ginny gasped, her mouth forming a scream that could not be heard out loud, for she could find no breath to speak, let alone scream. She was vaguely aware of Malfoy rushing toward her, and Hermione seeming to snap out of the oblivious daze that she had been in.  
Time seemed to slow as the book fell to the stone floor, striking it with a resounding thud. For a moment, nobody moved. Sound seemed not to exist. The only noise that Ginny heard was the echo from the book's contact with the ground. Ginny's eyes were wide, and she slowly looked up, meeting Hermione's shocked face, and then Malfoy's grim gaze. Then, Ginny felt the world tip away from her as she fell, meeting the same end that the book did. She lay on the ground, her body sprawled upon the stones, her mouth still open in its silent scream. 


	5. Draco's Task

A Sorrowful Goodbye  
  
Chapter 5: Draco's Task  
  
"Ginny!" Draco cried as Ginny lay on the cold, stone floor of the 6th year girls' dormitory. She wasn't moving. He was vaguely aware of the Mudblood's eyes on him. She was obviously confused, but there wasn't time to explain. He needed to figure out how to help Ginny first.  
Kneeling down beside her, Draco felt for a pulse in her wrist. He felt the weak tempo beating against his fingertips. She was still alive; that was good. Draco knew that she needed to get to the infirmary. He eased his arms underneath her, carefully scooping up her body, heavy with weight of unconsciousness. Turning, he was about to exit the room when Granger's voice called out to him, almost too quietly for him to hear.  
"What have you done to her, Malfoy?" The voice was coated with anger and suspicion. Draco groaned inwardly, wishing that Granger would just leave him bloody well alone. He faced her, feeling his eyes flashing in annoyance.  
"Sod off!" Draco hissed. Granger was unperturbed as she continued to glare at him. Her hair was frizzier than ever in her angered state. The brown eyes bore into his icy ones, daring him to stand up to her. He had to admit she had courage. Not many people ventured to oppose to him.  
"No," she said simply, but the meaning was strong. Draco knew that he would not be able to rid himself of her unless he allowed her to accompany him.  
He strode to the door without further argument. If she wanted to follow, she could. The quick footsteps behind him ensured Draco that she would, indeed, be accompanying him. They descended the curving dormitory stairs. Torchlight fell upon Ginny's limp form, streaking her scarlet hair with gold. Draco felt as though he were trying to win a marathon while traveling through jelly. His progress was exasperatingly slow.  
Finally, they reached the base of the stairs. Draco continued making his way past overstuffed armchairs and couches, glad that no one was in the Common Room. A part of him wondered what time it was, but he was too distracted to care.  
He stood before the portrait, signifying the exit of the Gryffindor Common Room. Draco reached his arm out to swing the picture open, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Granger. "What?" he asked in annoyance.  
The Mudblood was staring at him, a defiant look in her eyes. "We should get Ron," she stated, "He's her sister, after all; he deserves the right to know."  
Draco took a deep breath to steady his anger. There was no time for this now! Ginny could be dying, and needed to get to the hospital wing.  
"Tell you what," he said, "you wake Weasley from his restful sleep. and I'll take her-" he motioned with his head toward Ginny's unmoving body - "to Madam Pomfrey."  
Granger stared at him for a moment, and then her shoulders sagged in resignation. "Fine," she said, and without another word, trudged toward the boys' dormitories. She disappeared around the curving stairs, leaving Draco alone with the unconscious Ginny.  
Much to his aversion, Draco found himself sighing. He was relieved to be rid of Granger. He didn't know how Potter or Weasley put up with her constant orders. She was like a mosquito, always buzzing in his ear, no matter how much he brushed her away.  
Draco stood up straight. He had a job to do, and an urgent one at that. Ginny had to be transported to the hospital wing, as quickly as possible. He continued on his way, carefully stepping around tall, green and black furniture so as not to disturb Ginny. He had no idea when she could be awakened. if she could be awakened.  
No. He would not think about that. He could not fail his Father in this task. However, Draco bemused, he deserved some credit. His job involving Temptation was not easy. He had to gather all those affected by it, bring them to his Father, and..  
And what? Draco didn't know. He'd never been told. He scowled, angered that no one gave him any more information than the bare minimum required. He was old enough to handle the duty as a future Death Eater.  
His Father had told him that very few people would be influenced by Temptation. When Lucius had handed Draco the list of those Hogwarts students affected, Draco had been quite surprised at how few there really were. Five. That was all. Of course, the famous Potter and his two shadows - Granger and Weasley - had been three of them. He had no doubt that Potter would be; he seemed to be involved in everything. That his two followers were, as well, only made sense. You couldn't have one without the other two, now, could you? Ginny, however, had been a surprise. He'd barely known her. She was just Weasley's younger sister; too unimportant to cast a second glance at. But the most shocking was the last person on the list. Someone that had made Draco shiver with fear, and he never outwardly showed emotion, if he could help it. But this, this was too much. It almost made him refuse the task right then and there. However, his Father had been watching his face, and had laid his cane on Draco's elbow. "Draco, you will perform this task, if you ever want to be allowed in my household again." Lucius had spoken with such resolve, such fierceness, that Draco had relented. He would do it. And so he was. But he hadn't known that Temptation would be so. sneaky, for the lack of a better word. Yes, that was it. Sneaky. Any other Slytherin would have snorted out loud at the thought of this Fate being sneaky. So much like a Slytherin.. Too bad Draco didn't snort. But he hadn't been amused when he'd realized that Temptation outsmarted him before he'd even gotten a chance to master it. No, he had no idea that he would be the first person twisted beneath Temptation's cruel hand. He was the fifth one on the list. He could be influenced by this wily version of Fate. And his inner temptation, apparently, was lust. He hadn't believed it at first, of course. He'd scoffed at his Father, even laughed at the thought that he, Draco Malfoy, was one of the five people of England to be affected by Temptation's spell. And the spell of lust, of all things? It had to be some kind of stupid joke. Unfortunately, that kiss with Ginny had pretty much proven that he was, indeed, lustful. 


	6. Out of Breath

A Sorrowful Goodbye Chapter 6:  
  
Draco was still pondering about his task of gathering all those who were influenced by Temptation together when he felt Ginny stir in his arms. He froze. Her arm - which had been hanging limp, pointing at the floor - moved to her eyes as she rubbed them. She twisted her neck into Draco's chest, then away again. Draco continued to watch her nervously as she woke from whatever daze she'd been in. He wondered if she was all right. She seemed to be.  
"Weasley?" he whispered. Her eyelids lifted as she met his gaze. She blinked, obviously confused, and opened her mouth to speak.  
No words came out.  
Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. She swung her leg over his arm and he let go of her. She turned to face him, standing. Her lips parted again, but no sound reached his ears.  
Ginny began opening and closing her mouth, rather like a fish out of water, and looked more and more panicky each time. Draco could only watch; he was just as baffled as her. Finally, he put a hand to her mouth to silence her.  
"Ginny," he began, only to discover that she was hyperventilating. He didn't want to have to carry her again if she fainted from improper breathing, so he repeated, "Ginny!" in a more commanding voice. "Take a deep breath." She did, her features relaxing.  
"Okay, I'm going to ask you a question, and you just nod or shake your head. All right?" Draco asked her.  
Ginny nodded.  
"Right, then," Draco continued. "You can't speak, correct?" Ginny nodded in assent. "Then let's try to determine why not." Draco wracked his brains at why Ginny's voice was failing her. When had it first happened? After she'd interfered with Hermione's Temptation. "Well, it must have something to do with you disturbing Temptation, or touching it, or whatever, when you grabbed the book it was holding out for the Mudblood- sorry, Granger," Draco quickly added as Ginny shot him a look as sharp as daggers.  
Suddenly, they heard approaching thuds on the stone floor; someone was coming.  
"Quick, footsteps! Get behind this statue," Draco instructed Ginny.  
They ducked behind the looming Gargoyle just as a figure appeared around the bend. Wait, thought Draco, that's two people.. He recognized the bushy hair of Granger and the crimson head of the older Weasley. He realized with a prick of unease that he didn't want them thinking that he'd hexed Ginny so she couldn't speak. Draco was about to hold out a hand to stop her when she burst out of their hiding spot and ran to her brother. Weasley halted abruptly, the confused look that was so often on his face adorning his features yet again. She flung herself at Weasley and wrapped her arms around her older brother's neck. Weasley seemed unsure of what to do; he ended up patting her back. Draco rolled his eyes, realizing that he was going to have to face them eventually. Why not sooner than later?  
He stepped out from behind the gargoyle statue. No one noticed him at first, but then Granger glanced over her shoulder at him, from where she'd been, rubbing Ginny's shoulder in the sisterly manner they both shared. Granger pursed her lips together, obviously upset, but what did she want Draco to do about it? There was nothing he could do. perhaps his Father would know of a solution. The laboratory of Malfoy Manor was quite extensive. There was probably some kind of potion for dealing with Temptation's wrath. Yes, Draco resolved, I'll tell them that my Father has the cure..  
Ginny was still sobbing, which was really quite odd-looking, figuring she wasn't able to use her voice. Instead, she was breathing hard and shaking, mouth open in a rather vulgar manner. Draco suppressed a shiver of disgust. He was about to speak, but Weasley beat him to it.  
"What did you do to my sister, you-" Weasley started, but Draco cut him off.  
"I didn't do anything. She did it herself. Stupid girl interfered where she shouldn't have." He smirked. "But then again, that's not very uncommon for a Weasley, is it?"  
The two redheads of them glared at him, but said nothing to defend themselves. Instead, Granger spoke up in the haughty manner she always used to address him.  
"Listen, Malfoy: either you tell us what's going on, or I'll march right into the Headmaster's office, wake him up, and report this to Dumbledore himself!"  
Draco rolled his eyes. One thing he'd learned about the mudblood was that her bark was worse than her bite. Well, excluding that slap she'd given him a few years ago. He could still feel the pain sometimes..  
"Look, I don't want to explain anything more than I have to. As much as I hate to say it, Potter has to be here, too. Where is he?"  
Weasley and Granger looked at each other, eyebrows raised. They turned back to Draco.  
"He's - er - with Cho," Weasley muttered.  
"With her? Potter's actually with someone-" Granger cut him off.  
"Not like that, Malfoy," she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "They're doing homework." She glared at him. "Honestly, Malfoy. Is that all teenage boys ever think about?"  
"No," Weasley and Draco replied at the same time, then glared at each other, both shuddering at the thought that they'd done something at the same time.  
Suddenly, a loud thud resounded throughout the corridor. Draco jumped in surprise, as did Granger and Weasley. He looked around for the source, and found himself staring at the deep brown eyes of Ginny. To his amusement, she was positively sparking with anger. He realized that, since she couldn't speak, she'd had to resort to using body language as a means of communication.  
"Yes, Weaslette?" he asked, using her mock nickname that he referred to her as. She ignored this, but he thought he saw a vein jump in her temple. The thought made him smirk.  
She raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hands, bending them at the elbows and putting her palms up in a "what-do-we-do-now?" appearance.  
"We go to Dumbledore," Granger said, obviously understanding Ginny's question.  
"NO," Draco spoke, restraining himself from yelling completely.  
All three Gryffindors turned to him, eyebrows raised in question.  
"Dumbledore won't know what to do," Draco said. "My Father has the cure. I'll take you to Malfoy Manor."  
"Go to your house?" Weasley spluttered. "I'd rather visit Hell."  
Draco shot Weasley a sneer, and replied, "That would be a good idea, actually. I'm sure they'd love to have you."  
Weasley's ears turned a lovely shade of magenta, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Granger cut him off.  
"Continue, Malfoy. And please. Let's not have anymore interruptions." Draco smiled brazenly, and resumed his explanation in a lazy drawl. "Well, actually, we need Potter here so I can explain to all of you about Temptation. I certainly don't feel like repeating myself, since it is rather long and complex." "And everyone must revolve around your laziness," Weasley spat venomously. Draco continued smirking. "Look, Weasley's finally catching on! Although I'd hardly say it's 'laziness'.." "That's exactly what I'd say it is!" At one swift moment, Ginny stepped in between them, placed one hand on each of their chests, and shoved them apart - hard - causing both Draco and Weasley to stumble backwards a few steps. Draco was the first to regain his wounded composure. He turned to Ginny, his eyes sparking at her. "What'd you do that for, bitc-" "I think," Granger interrupted him, "that it was her way of saying, 'Shut the bloody hell up!'" Draco glared at the mudblood for a moment, rather surprised at her sudden anger, before saying, "Well, you know what? Why doesn't she just speak for herself?" He shoved past the two girls, striding down the corridor. Right before he reached the bend, he yelled back over his shoulder, "Oh wait. It looks like she's not going to be doing any speaking for awhile, now, doesn't it?" He would have continued walking down the corridor if someone hadn't gripped his collar and pushed him into the wall. "Ginny might not be doing much talking for awhile, Malfoy, but you sure will be." Draco struggled for the second time that day into a standing position, feeling as if he could hex whoever had caused him embarrassment - again - all the way into the Forbidden Forest. However, he soon realized that this wouldn't be possible. For Harry Potter could not be hexed. 


End file.
